Aaron Woods was named in the Wests Tigers team to take on the Bulldogs tonight at ANZ Stadium, but it was always doubtful he was going to take his place.
NRL teams are named way too early anyway on Tuesday afternoons, and that’s probably why coach Jason Taylor placed A Woods next to the number 8 when the team list was released to the media.
But the club has since announced that Woods will be given some extra time to completely recover from a knee injury he sustained in the loss to premiers Souths last Sunday, also at Homebush.
In any case, Taylor named an extended bench with this possibility in mind, with Kyle Lovett pencilled in at number 18 on a five-man interchange.
Woods has been outstanding for the Wests Tigers so far after three rounds, giving the team penetration every time he takes the ball up.
But while the big guy will be missed, I doubt if Taylor would be planning to beat the Dogs at their own game by trying to smash them in the forwards.
The Bulldogs have some of the biggest boppas in the NRL and going around them may be much more preferable to trying to smash right through them.
Sure, Wests Tigers will have to do some work up the middle, but there’s no doubt their key men will be the little blokes with all those bags of tricks they bring to the game – Robbie Farah, James Tedesco chiming in from fullback, and the tyro halves, Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks.
If things work out, the Tigers spine can run rings around the big Bulldogs forwards.
The danger for Taylor’s team will be in trying to contain the firepower of the Bulldogs attack.
If they can somehow nullify it, they will be in with a big chance to bark the team victory song come fulltime at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
Back to the team named, and following the suspension of Pat Richards for one match, Delouise Hoeter has been named to make his NRL debut on the wing. Hoeter, 21, is a former Keebra Park High School student – Benji Marshall’s alma mater – and played junior football with Marist Saints in Auckland, New Zealand. He is very highly rated, so look out for the young fellow to get through what may be a baptism of fire against the Dogs.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Dene Halatau has also succumbed to injury and has pulled out of tonight’s match.
The news could get even worse as winger Kevin Naiqama is now seen as a doubtful starter, too. Naiqama, one of the team’s best so far, suffered a hand injury in the match with the Rabbitohs.
On a brighter note, Campbelltown’s own talented winger David Nofoaluma and fullback Tim Moltzen have been named to make a return from their respective injuries in the NSW Cup fixture against Mounties on Saturday.
Wests Tigers NRL – Round 4 v Bulldogs:
1. James Tedesco
2. Kevin Naiqama
3. Tim Simona
4. Chris Lawrence
5. Delouise Hoeter
6. Mitchell Moses
7. Luke Brooks
8. Aaron Woods
9. Robbie Farah (C)
10. Keith Galloway
11. Curtis Sironen
12. Sauaso Sue
13. Martin Taupau
Interchange:
14. Dene Halatau
15. Ava Seumanufagai
16. Jack Buchanan
17. Brenden Santi
18. Kyle Lovett
